Wingspan: The Highs and Lows of Being a Musician

Hana's getting married in two weeks and Mish lost her voice, so naturally we recorded a podcast. This week we're sharing our 10 tips for staying afloat when life and music are both coming at you full speed - covering everything from planning your wellness before you hit the road, to gamifying logistics, protecting your energy, and why panicking about a bad gig is pointless. Plus Crone Wa...

The metronome has a bad reputation. It's rigid, it's annoying, and it's few people's idea of a good time. In this episode, Hana and Mishkin make the case for why that's a mistake, and why the benefits go well beyond just playing in time. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating...

⚠️ This episode contains discussions of pregnancy loss, postpartum mental health, and rage. Please take care listening. This week Hana and Mishkin are joined by Georgia Train — singer-songwriter, vocal coach, and one half of Bitter Ruin — for a conversation about what it really costs to be a musician and a mother. Georgia gets into the parts nobody talks about: the hormonal shifts, the identity lo...

Welcome to Season 4 of our podcast and a slight rebrand! After a packed start to the year involving tours, music videos, prison teaching stints, and at least one birthday meltdown in France, we've been thinking a lot about how musicians actually work. This episode is about the two seasons every musician moves through: zoom in, where it's all about daily practice, routine, and sharpening...

Singles, EPs, albums - how do you know what to release, and when? In this episode, Hana and Mishkin break down the case for each format using the only framework that matters: TLC. They cover why a single can get you pigeonholed before you've shown anyone the full picture, when an EP is worth the extra studio time, and why albums are still the most satisfying thing you can make even if they ta...

This week Hana and Mishkin are joined by Jason Achilles - LA producer, session musician to the likes of Dizzy Reed and Jerry Cantrell, and the man behind the microphone NASA sent to Mars on the Perseverance rover. Jason talks about building a music career through sheer nerve and well-timed lies and shares some very honest stories about the times he wanted to quit. Expect tour stories, food grievan...

Hana and Mishkin are back with another Rate and Hate, this time tackling the musical genres they'd least like to encounter in this life or the next. Ten genres, no mercy, one accidental jazz improvisation. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and...

Ever wondered why some releases just work whilst others disappear into the void? It's not luck, it's having a system. In this episode, we break down our five-step campaign framework that you can use again and again: Song, Visuals, Promotion, Outreach, and Feedback.  We talk about writing songs that grab attention, creating visual content that actually serves your music, promotion that do...

In this special episode, all four artists from the upcoming Heart of Darkness tour gather in the Cotswolds to talk about what they're building together. Hana and Mishkin are joined by Catherine Elms and Taylor from Emberhoney for a conversation about female friendship in music, the power of community over competition, and why human-made art matters more than ever. They trace their connections...

Two musicians who have been forced to play the worst songs ever written at countless weddings finally unleash their rage. From Coldplay to Bruno Mars, we're breaking down exactly why these songs are crimes against music - and confessing which terrible tunes we secretly love. If you didn't already think Mish and Hana were horrible people, here's proof 😈 Do you have the best job in t...

Magnesium, manifestation, and getting violently shaken to sleep: 20 musician life hacks In this episode, Mish and Hana share the life hacks that have actually helped them survive the chaos of being working musicians - from making your bed for free dopamine hits to scheduling your entire fortnight to avoid burnout, cutting out alcohol to write better songs, and why breathwork creates the mental spa...

Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help....

In this episode Mishkin and Hana talk about the financial, time, and emotional gambles musicians take - plus the story of how the universe reimbursed £18 worth of pettiness. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the lonelies...

⚡ Nobody talks about the decade it takes to build an empire ⚡ In this episode we breaking down the three pillars of building a music empire (collaboration, confidence, longevity). We're talking about knowing when to fire people, why your lack of Instagram engagement doesn't mean you're failing, and how gratitude builds confidence more than anything else. Plus the real tea on colla...

Hana and Mish get brutally honest about the complicated intimacy between bandmates—from electric on-stage connections to blurred boundaries, naked music video shoots, and that time they realised they were a bit in love with each other. It's messy, vulnerable, and proof that being in a band is way more intense than anyone admits. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at l...

Release days used to savage us - the kind where you refresh social media like a maniac and feel like you've thrown months of work into a digital void. So here we have it: seven practical steps for keeping your sanity intact when you're most vulnerable. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating...

In this episode Mishkin and I get brutally honest about making music with no money. From catastrophic videoshoots to sleeping in car parks, we share hard-won advice on calling in favours, skill swapping, and building a music career when you're completely broke. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up ea...

"You can't please everyone" is a motto I live by (along with "you'll get what you're given" and "always leave them wanting more") 🤣🤣🤣.  In this episode we discuss how to shut out the background noise, follow your intuition, and work out which feedback to take on board. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? A...

In this episode we explore what happens when music shifts from a passion-filled dream to a career you have to maintain, grow, and protect.  Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie a...

TW: sexual assault, depression In response to our podcast episode The Dark Place, one of our fan/friends Pete sent us this beautiful audio poem called The Undertow... which in turn inspired this podcast. Tune in to hear more... Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever pl...

In this podcast episode we chat about some of our weirdest gig moments and talk about what it's like to always be the VIP at a party you'd really rather not attend 🥸  Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the lone...

TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains references to mental health, suicide, abusive relationships and addiction. This is quite a heavy one so please listen at your own discretion. In this podcast episode we talk about the darkness or "poison well" that we as songwriters draw from to get inspiration for some of our most intense songs. Do you have the best job in the world but also want t...

In this episode we talk about how to exist in sometimes uncomfortably close proximity with your audience both onstage and off, how this affects your ability to express yourself as an artist, and the magic that comes from shared vulnerability. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins?...

In this episode we chat to our dear friend and bandmate Anna Mylee about the highs and lows of her music career so far. You can find Anna here: https://www.patreon.com/annamylee https://www.instagram.com/anna_mylee/ https://www.annamylee.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/annamylee Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but someh...

Episode 19 is another one from the road so we unpack some of our top tips for surviving (and thriving) on tour Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning you...